Another Outpost Demolished: Mitzpe Avichai Residents Evicted

Police and Civil Administration personnel demolished homes in the new community (“outpost”) of Mitzpeh Avichai, near Kiryat Arba, early Thursday morning. Residents said that the forces destroyed at least 10 temporary buildings. Nine families were kicked out of their homes in the raid.

Residents told Arutz Sheva that the forces entered the homes and forced whole families – including mothers, infants, and small children – into the near-freezing cold rain that fell overnight Wednesday. Residents said they were not deterred, however, and would rebuild. “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are tough when it comes to pushing around the heroes that are building the Land of Israel, but not so tough when it comes to the Bedouin takeover of the Negev and the wholesale illegal Arab building,” residents told Arutz Sheva.

Speaking of the events, MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said that “the demolition of Mitzpeh Avichai and the eviction of infants in the freezing weather is a further sign of the deterioration of Netanyahu's government, which destroys the homes of Jews but fears to enforce the law against Arabs. This is a policy of hopelessness and depression,” he said.

In response to the demolition, the Women in Green organization has organized an emergency appeal for funds to rebuild the neighborhood. The group also called on the Prime Minister “to emerge from behind Barak's apron and proudly build the Land of Israel. This will be the true response to the challenges of Yair Lapid and Shelly Yechimovich. If you want to ensure that the Arabs fear the power of the State of Israel, the only way to do it is by a clear policy of imposing Israeli sovereignty on Judea and Samaria, and building thousands of homes there.”